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Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Losing My Puppy 2.0

Enough is enough! I have been looking back at posts from last summer. I want to be back in that place. However, I refuse to beat myself up about the past 6-7 months. We faced one of the worst things a couple can face. Nevertheless, there comes a time when you have to deal with consequences and for me that time is now.

The cold hard truth is that I have gained all that I lost last year - weight that is. Thankfully, that is not all that I have gained in the past year. New friends, a blog I am proud of, proof that I can do it, new recipes we have discovered, etc. are all things that I have happily gained and will all be part of my comeback.

I am treating myself a fresh start. I will do my absolute best to let go of the past and not compare this summer to last. I am determined to try new things and make new memories. Of course, I will be dipping into my past successes - no need to reinvent the wheel. Tracking my food and getting daily exercise causes me to lose weight. Losing weight helps me to feel better and be more confident.

Here are a few of my plans...

Regular swimming - It is time to ask for help with my stroke. I can do a mean doggie paddle, but I really want to "master" freestyle. There will be goggles and breathing lessons.

Yoga - The gym we belong to has a Monday night class and I will be checking that out. I also have some at home yoga options that I am going to try (hello, YouTube - so many resources in my very own home). I am the least flexible person I know. I am hopeful that regular stretching will improve my flexibility and balance.

Meal Prep - It is so easy to get sidetracked when you are not prepared. I am going to work on some healthy delicious lunches that I can put together on the weekend. It isn't that I don't like a turkey sandwich (one of my go-to lunches) but it hardly inspires me. I want to be "excited" by what is in my lunch box - for taste and healthy fuel reasons.

Dog training - Millie is a good girl for the most part, but I would like her to be more responsive. I often leave her home when I go walking because I don't want to "deal" with her goofiness, but I know it won't get better if I don't work with her.

New recipes - I want to keep exploring food that I can enjoy the cooking process, but does not sabotage my health goals.

No, I am not going to do all these things today. Neither am I going to take forever to incorporate them. Stay tuned.

During this non-losing weight phase of my blogging I have enjoyed sharing a wider slice of my life. I expect that will continue. I have said repeatedly on this blog that I believe weight loss and health is so intertwined with every day life that I can't separate them. Considering that so many of you have stuck with me through this phase I hope that means that you have continued to find value (and/or entertainment) in what I am sharing.

I am starting over on my weigh-in and "losing my puppy" goal. Millie is holding steady at about 85 pounds so I am adjusting my goal to that number. Truth is, I don't really know how I feel about the numbers until I get there. According to the "experts" I would probably have to lose even more, but as an adult I have never been close to those numbers (except for the 5 seconds when I passed them on my way up the scale). I may be very satisfied and healthy before I reach this somewhat arbitrary goal, but I think it helps me to have a specific goal in mind. And of course, it works for my blog name...who wants to read "Losing My Puppy - Almost" or "Losing Most of My Puppy"?

I am leaving my previous progress chart as is for now. I have added a 2.0 progress chart. I am hoping the original will be inspirational - reminding me I can do it and motivate me to do even better. I am taking some new "before" pictures, but I will probably wait to share them until I have something to compare them to. I don't feel good about them currently, but they will help me see the change and I think that is important.

My body hasn't been up to picking up the full-on exercise quite yet. To start I have been making a concerted effort to do some stretching in the morning. While the dogs are taking their time finding the perfect potty spot, I can now be found stretching on the deck. I have logged my food on MyFitnessPal for two days in a row! I have packed my lunch for work. Monday was turkey jalapeno smoked sausage & tomato in whole wheat pita with a side of peppers, cucumbers and a peach. And of course, another bottle of water. Tuesday was pretty similar - substituting leftover grilled chicken for the sausage.

One of my all time favorite summer breakfasts - wheat pita bread topped with fresh tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese. I bake it for about 5-6 minutes at 400 degrees. Perfection.

I tried to get Millie in on the veggie action with some grilled asparagus. She was extremely interested. When I finally gave it to her she took it, licked it and rolled it around her mouth. Ultimately, she refused to eat it. Maybe next time.

I saved this post for a couple of days because I wanted it to be more than "this is what I want to do". Instead, I want it to be "this is what I am doing". Sure it has only been two days, but I feel good about my re-start so far. And I've already lost 30 pounds!!! Obviously not, but the weight of guilt about how I had been eating is lifting :)

30 comments:

Right there with you! Amazing how we all seemed to have come to this conclusion at the same time?! Sorry Miss Millie didn't like the Asparagus. Maybe it's an acquired taste for her (Heck, I didn't like it either until I tried it hesitantly last year.. and low and behold, now I can't get enough!)

Yay for a good restart! Your meals look so yummy. I may borrow some of your recipes.Silly Millie. My dog did something similar. Way back when she was a young pup she was staying with my mom. My mom was cutting up green beans and she was sitting very cutely next to my mom so my mom gave her a green bean. She took it, went in the other room, then came back and waited next to my mom again. They repeated the green bean as a treat thing several times. Eventually my mom got up and went to the other room and there was a neat pile of green beans. I think Lona had high hopes one of those times it would be something BETTER than a green bean.

Lunch is always a thrown together hodge podge for me. I am going to work on making healthy (and delicious) food on the weekend that can lunch on during the week. Poor Lona - she tried to be a grateful dog...throw a girl a steak once in awhile :)

I think a lot of us are struggling right now, and coming to "it's time to change" moments. You're right, you can't focus on the past, and begrudge yourself from losing that moment. YOU can get back there! You've done it before, you most certainly do it again. Good luck!

I pretty much love all things with pitas, but pita pizzas are one of my favourite things!!!

Since you mention wanting to try new recipes, I found this blog: http://www.emilybites.com/ and I LOVE it. So many of my staple meals come from this site, because they almost all use ingredients that I can find or have in my cupboard. My personal favourite is Mexican Rice Casserole! http://www.emilybites.com/2011/05/mexican-rice-casserole.html

Awesome restart! Your food looks so delicious. What brand is that sausage?

I had the hardest time not comparing my weight to previous years, or thinking "If I'd stuck with it, I would probably be at goal already..." I think it's a great idea to just wipe the slate clean and start over.

The sausage is from Aldi. It is their store brand, Kirkwood. The bad thing about Aldi is you find something you like and they don't have it again (or not until months later). Last summer we had a Chipotle Cheddar sausage that we like even better, but I haven't seen it lately.

After reading a few blogs on the Weigh In Wednesday blog-hop, seems a lot of people are starting fresh or needing motivation! Including myself! It is good motivation for me to read what everyone else is going through! Way to get back on it!